Sanitary hen&#39;s nest



s. s. GOOD. SANITARY HENS NEST.

APPLICATION FILED APR-2 I919.

. Pamllted May 4,

F/GJI INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY SAMUEL S. GOOD, OF JENKINTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SANITARY HEN S NEST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 2, 1919. Serial No. 286,830.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. G001), a citizen of the United States, residing at Jenkintown, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Hens Nests, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hens nests and the object thereof is to provide a plurality of compartments for the hens having a common bottom and back constructed to permit the ready removal of the eggs and a quick and easy cleaning of the nests.

Another object is to construct the nest as a whole of sh'eet'metal and to provide for using metal of very light gage by stiffening and bracing it in a novel and effectlve manner.

Another object is to so construct the bottom of the nest that the retention of fine particles of dirt, and dust therein is avoided whereby the nests are rendered sanitary and prevented from becoming lousy.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a pair of hens nests constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The nest contemplated in this invention is constructed of sheet metal throughout and embodies a bottom 1 composed of a rectangular frame, the side and end members as 2 of which are composed of longitudinally folded metal strips between the mem bers of which is clampingly held a sheet 3 of woven wire or other reticulated material as is shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3. This reticulated sheet 3 is used so as to permit dust and dirt and other fine particles to drop through so that there will be no accumu lation of such particles to breed lice.

A foot board 4 is arranged at the front of edges of which are folded inwardly to form reinforces 11 (see Fig. 8). The front edge of the nest bottom 1 is hingedly connected to the rear edge of the running board 4 as shown at 12, the hinges being so applied as to permit the bottom to swing downwardly and be suspended from the foot board when it is desired to clean the nests as will be presently more fully described. The end members 6 and 7 have reinforcing strips 13 riveted or otherwise suitably secured to their upper edges,'said strips being L-shaped in cross section, one flange 14 of which is secured to the inner face of the end member while its other flange 15 extends laterally inward and which operates to strengthen the end member and prevent buckling thereof.

The central partition 8 is constructed similarly to the end members, having a reinforcing strip 16 secured to its upper end as shown clearly in Fig. 1 and its side edges bent laterally at right angles as shown at 17 to form attaching flanges and reinforcing devices. The lower edge of this partition is similarly bent as shown at 18.

Patented Ma 4., 1920."

The frontends of the end members 6 and 7 and the intermediate partition 8 are bolted to the upright plate 5 of the foot board as is shown clearly at19. Secured to the rear ends of the members 6, 7 and 8 is a sectional back 20, the lower section 21 of which is about ei ht inches high, more or less, and is secured by boltsas 22 to the ends of end members 6 and 7 and the middle partition 8. WVhen these parts are so connected, a rigid nest frame is provided. Hingedly connected to the upper. edge of the section 21 is a movable section 23 which is designed to be opened and closed for affording access to the nests from the rear thereof, said back being hinged to open downwardly and outwardly.

One or more of the upright partitions 6, 7 or 8 may be provided with latch means for holding the back section 23 in closed position, and as here shown this latch is mounted on the intermediate partition 8 and is shown in the form of a bar 2 1 pivoted at 25 to the laterally extending arm or flange 16 of said partition with its free end bent at right angles as shown at 26 to form the catch which is designed to shut down over the upper edge of the back section 23, as shown in Fig. 2 and thereby securely hold said section in closed position.

Similar catch members 27 are carried by the stationary back section 21 at its opposite ends, being pivotally connected at one end to said section and having right angular inwardly extending catch fingers 28 which are designed to extend under the lower edge of the section 21 and engage the free edge of the bottom 1 for holding said bottom in normal closed position.

In a nest constructed as above described, when it is desired to clean it, all that is necessary is to open the catches 27 which will permit the bottom 1 to swing downwardly by gravity, thereby depositing the nesting material on the ground or into a suitable receptacle held to receive it. When this material has been so removed the bottom may be quickly and readily cleaned by brushing off the wire mesh sheet 3, and if found necessary this bottom may be washed or disinfected in any other suitable manner. After it has been cleaned it is swung back into closed position and the catches 27 engaged therewith and it is then ready to re-- ceive new nesting material.

When it is desired to remove the eggs from the nests an attendant opens the back section 23 by disengaging the catch 26 and swinging said section down when he may readily obtain access to the eggs in the nests.

While this invention is shown applied to a nest having two compartments only, it is obvious that any desired number of com partments may be used and that the length of the members above described may be varied to suit varying conditions.

All of the sections are preferably connected by bolts so that they may be readily taken down for scalding or disinfecting when found necessary and may be readily assembled after such cleansing has been effected.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made as are within the scope of the claimed invention.

I claim l. A hen nest of the class described constructed of sheet metal and embodying a reticulated bottom mounted in a frame, a running board having a stiffening rib along its front edge and an upstanding rear walk-end members secured to said rear wall, said bottom having its front edge hinged to the rear edge of the running board, a sectional back secured to the rear ends of said end members, one section being fixed and the other movable, the movable section being hinged to the fixed section, and catches for holding said movable section and said bottom in closed position.

2. A sanitary hens nest composed of sheet metal and comprising a: rectangular frame having a reticulated sheet secured thereto to form a bottom, a foot board having an upright member hingedly connected to said bottom, end members fixed at their front edges to the upright portion ofsaid foot board, a back having a stationary section fixed to the opposite end edges of said end members, a hinged back section connected with said stationary section, means for holding' said hinged section in closed position, and means carried by said stationary back section for holding the hinged bottom inv closed position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL S. GOOD. WVitnesses:

E. J OHNSON, R. FRYE. 

